It's Christmas Week! The New Year is Around the Corner

Wait for me!!!!!!!!!!!

Holy Cremoly, Where has November one? For pete's sake where did the warm sun go...the colorful leaves.....it was all  here a couple of weeks ago! Sigh. Things have been so hectic here. I feel like I'm just bouncing along behind. I didn't even get to post for Thanksgiving. I apologize for not getting my usual Thanks. cards out to all. This is the first year I missed. I think I've mentioned this before, but our phone co. has some bad lines in our area. They are threadbear for lack of a better term and moldy...we live in a woods, but in a suburb of Cincinnati..not the country!!!....they give it temp fixes...I think they ducktape em for pete's sake...then when it rains and rains and rains and rains even more...the connection goes wonky and I'm offline! ERGgggg. It must be nice to be a monopoly.
Anyway, on a brighter note, Christmas lights, Snowmen, Santa, and Elves went up on Saturday. Now it's time to get the porch and inside decorations out. This year it'll be a slow process. Jim surprized me with an early B'day present.................................

since he knows I take pics of tabletops and porch decor he set this up on the porch. I haven't been able to get a pic at home so this isn't our porch, I got the pic off Walmart's site. I had been looking at a table and chair set like this for months. It's bronzetone with folding chairs in brown with candy stripes in red, springy green, and blue that match the two retro looking metal chairs I have. When I saw it I was so excited then the price tag flashed in my head from the store. It must've shown cause Jim quickly told me he got the table for $40 in one box with two chairs...the others were bent. The Garden Mgr. told him he had 2 extra matching chairs in another box that had a cracked glassstop, so they sold him those for $5 each...$200 set for $50! He even found a $5 vinyl tablecloth in country red, green, and cream in holiday motif complete with some snowmen! Gotta love a thrifty guy! When I get to finish it I'll post a complete pic.
I'm gonna be working on some new decorations for the porch Snowman tree.

I found some cute vintage images at Imagimeri's................................................

On Saturday Jim took me to lunch at the Cafe in the Oh Valley Ant. Mall  and look what I found....................

It's the Dec 1972 issue! There are a lot of groovy things I remember inside this paper time capsule. I'll show some pages in later posts, but the one page that jumped out was this....................................................................

This 8 volume set of themed cookbooks by BHG. Look what I have....I know I've showed these before........

Over the past couple of years I have searched for this collection and now I have all 8! I wondered how many came in the set. In 1973 the books changed in look.....................................................................................

They are still great cookbooks, but slightly larger, with a dull finish on the cover, the paper used feels different, and the pics are nice, but not quite the same somehow. I'm happy to know I have the complete set. Now I guess I'll look for the ones in the early 70's. Past '75 they look way too modern. Can't help it I just love vintage!!
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I thought since it is Pink Saturday I'd Incluse some of my Fav Christmas things.....................

Christmas table setting atmy parents house

Christmas table display at the Flower Shop

Vintage inspired holiday Angelic Inspiration

A vintage reflector for light strand on tree

Vintage glass bell and plastic whirlygig ornies

Vintage pink glass ball with covered bridge and snow scene

Vintage tall lidded cloche filled with vintage garland beads and vintage balls

Vintage holiday panorama book seen at the Tafts Museum Antigue Christmas

Vintage holiday diorama also taken at the Taft.

Hope you're tickled pink this weekend!!! Or at least red and green!

Don't forget to go to my Weekly Blog Parties at the top of the page and check out all the fun parties I link to!

It's Party Time!

......over at the Esty Cottage Style Blog!

This months color is Aqua.  The party lasts all week, so I cna't wait to see everyonestrue color! I love the shade of aqua or it used to be called blue green in the crayon box. I think if pine trees on the mountainside.....a pair of flipflops I had in the 60's with a big flower on em with different shades of aqua....a 60's coffee pot I have with gold and aqua diamonds on it.... ya know there are a lot of different hues and shades in this color family...................................................

Here is a vintage set of Melemine dishes I found for sale on Ebay.


We  have this 1950/60 aqua and black pottery bowl for sale at our flower shop.

This is the center picture on one of 4 English aluminum plates in my collections and it's filled with shades of aqua.

 This is a pillow I created using a 1950's hankie, 1960's tourquoise cotton fabric and rickrack, accented by a 1960's enamalware pin.

 My autumn throw I use on my kitchen porch glider has a lot of different shades of aqua.

 These next 2 pictures show a variety of blue greens in 1950's magazine showing fabrics.

 This tin is from the 1960's and filled with embroidery and threads from my Grandma.

 And, this is another 1950-60 vintage dishtowel I beaded and hand-embroidered to create a pillow.

Wow, I didn't realize I had so much aqua on hand. Well...I do love the shades of greens. Here are a few more aquas........................................

Feel free to copy and use these for your own paper crafts! Well, I think I go and see the other guests at the party. If you'd like to join me we'll go thru HERE

New Digital Software...more to come later!

Update: 10/16/11

This past weekend we got to go for a little ride to Ky and ended up at the Florence Antique Mall. Alas, we didn't find anything we had to have, but I did spy this cute booth that made me smile.........

Just full of red and white goodies. And, we did see the most interesting folks in other booths............

There were frightfully fun to visit with. Then on Sunday afternoon we stopped at a nieghbor who was having

an Estate Sale where I found all this vintage booty........

Of course I found some vintage embroidery and a toaster cover that'll make great appliques, as well as these hand-tatted doilies. Naturally I couldn't pass on a few vintage cookbooks. This one from the State of Maine, Potato Cookbook, is my favorite. It's from the late 40 early 50's, but what is really cool is I think it may have been the inspiration for my neighbors kitchen/family room when they built the home in the 50's...at least it sure looks like this.

I found a pack of found an old pack of dressmakers transfer paper...wasn't gonna show the pic, but what I noticed was the price tag when I got home. It's from an old department store called Arlan's here in Cincy. It was slightly more upscale than Woolworth's, but it was a visit made at least once a week when at my Grandma's. Sadly, it closed in 1969-70.

The tablecloth is the one I got from Cindy Adkins, but the large checked napkin (3) is a find and I'm gonna make a little runner I think of the 3. Mrs. Butterworth never looked so good. My Nieghbor loved to paint...er...dress her in country cookin finery. And, yes another Cookbook!

I was so happy to find that sweet little rose planter in the basement and find it's mark......

I also, found this little transferware saucer with its
mark.....................

We also purchased a vintage hand-plow our Nieghbor let my Dad borrow when we put in our first veggie garden in '77 when we first moved in. The wood is a little weathers, it's missing a handle end and has a wonderful rusted patina on the plow attatchments now, but it'll look great as a garden ornie. There is also a vintage mirror Jim found in the basement from the 30-40's, but  it needs some work before it makes a pic debut. Wonder what the cost of all this vintage goodness was?........$16.00

The past weekend was a good one. Think next weekend will be a clean the yard one since it's supposed to be nice. Don't forget to read on about some software I won and the digi art I created. Oh, and rememb er to visit all the blog parties too!

See I'm Back. Sorry for the blog interruption, but I had to check out this new software. I am soooo excited.

A week or two ago I entered a giveaway, sponsored by My Memories over at

Daniella Hayes' blog ...................................

'Daniella Hayes....Layers of  Creativity. and, boy is it ever chocked full of creativity. If you haven't stopped by check her out here...........

Well, seems I was the lucky recipient of her  giveaway which was a digital software package called,

'My Memories Suite'. Now you all have heard and some have personally seen how digitally impaired I am...

no snickering or giggles......but after going over the software for two days...OMG it is SUITE. ...er...SWEET!

And, the My Memories site it wonderful. Filled with inspiration, kits, ideas.....oh you have got to visit them.

Here, after you see what I did below..relatively quickly....go to

Alright.  You've already seen my first digi design in the ad for my Etsy Shop, Apronation. remember these are my first practice designs, sooooooo...............

This is form of art is definately outta  the box for me, but it is awesome!

Dont' forget to join all my Blogpals at my Weekly Blog Parties HERE to see other artworks, vintage finds,

and meet some really fun folks!